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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · ruler · chair · roll · staff · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. roll — a cake
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mark — a trace
  5. staff — a stick
  6. roll — a list
  7. staff — employees
  8. chair — a leader
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. tear — to rip
  11. staff — employees
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com